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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, Victoria College is celebrating its 100th |
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anniversary in 2025; and |
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WHEREAS, In February 1925, the trustees of the Victoria |
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Independent School District voted to establish Victoria Junior |
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College as an extension of Patti Welder High School; fifty-one |
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students began attending classes on the third floor of the school |
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that September; later, a college annex was added to the building; |
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and |
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WHEREAS, The college moved to its present-day site on Red |
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River Street in 1949 under an independent board of trustees and a |
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new name, the Victoria College; facilities included an |
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administration building with classrooms, a library, a gymnasium, a |
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student union, an athletic dormitory, and home economics and |
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industrial arts buildings; between 1958 and 1975, the size of the |
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campus doubled and many new facilities were completed, among them |
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an auditorium, a field house, and science, health, and fine arts |
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buildings; and |
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WHEREAS, Through the years, Victoria College expanded its |
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adult education, workforce training, and dual enrollment |
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offerings; the institution now serves more than 7,000 students |
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annually; the 60-acre Main Campus has 16 buildings, and the college |
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also operates the Zelda L. Allen School of Nursing in |
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Hallettsville, the Museum of the Coastal Bend, the Gonzales Center, |
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the Leo J. Welder Center for the Performing Arts, the Liberty Street |
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Industrial Training Center, and the Emerging Technology Complex; |
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construction of the new Student Success Center is scheduled for |
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completion by the end of 2025; and |
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WHEREAS, Victoria College is committed to providing a |
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high-quality education while maintaining costs at a third of the |
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average state university; numerous programs lead to high-demand |
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careers in such fields as industrial trade, business, public |
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service, technology, and health care; the administration is guided |
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by the motto "Our Community, Our College: Improving Lives, |
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Strengthening Communities," and 70 percent of graduates continue to |
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live and work in the service area; and |
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WHEREAS, Since its inception, Victoria College has been a |
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catalyst for educational attainment, economic growth, and cultural |
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enrichment, and this milestone in its history provides a welcome |
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opportunity to celebrate its contributions to the prosperity and |
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vibrancy of the community; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 89th Texas |
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Legislature hereby commemorate the 100th anniversary of Victoria |
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College and extend to all those associated with the institution |
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sincere best wishes for the future; and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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prepared for the college as an expression of high regard by the |
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Texas House of Representatives. |